Vice President Kamala Harris stated that she would keep the American people informed if there’s an “issue” related to President Joe Biden’s advanced age. These comments were made during an on-stage interview at a New York Times summit on Wednesday.
Host Andrew Ross Sorkin summarized the words of Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who also spoke at the summit and expressed doubt about whether the 81-year-old Biden has the mental capacity to fulfill the role of president.
The former House speaker mentioned that he sensed, during recent debt ceiling negotiations with the president, that Biden was simply “talking from cards” and couldn’t carry out the fundamental duties of his office.
Harris responded to McCarthy’s remarks by taking a shot at him, stating, “I don’t think he’s a judge of negotiations,” and referring to his ouster as speaker. She added that, in her opinion, Biden commands rooms behind closed doors.
“Age is more than a chronological fact,” Harris said. “I will tell you that he is in front of — often — everyone in the room in terms of thinking about how we can resolve issues.”
Sorkin followed up by pointing out, “A lot of people would say, ‘She can’t say anything else.'”
Harris interrupted to say, “I’m not lying. I’m telling you a fact.”
But Sorkin continued with his questioning about Biden’s mental acuity.
“But if there ever is a problem, do you think that you could go tell the American public?” he asked. “Do you think in your role that you’re in a position to do that?”
“Of course, if necessary, but there’s no need for that,” Harris responded.
“It is important we not be seduced into one of the only arguments that that side of the aisle has right now on this issue,” she added.
Harris then asserted that the concerns raised about Biden’s age are intended to “distract” from his accomplishments as president.
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